Unclaimed

Chapter Fifty-Five- Stand Firm

Cassie

I drag my feet through the woods as I hug my thick brown wool poncho to me. The sky was grey, the air thick with the smell of smoke. I could barely take a breath without hacking into my sleeve.

It was like Harald had released toxins into the air. I knew it was just smog, but it was too suffocating. I almost envied Vadim being underground for most of the trip, until we got to the wall.

The dawn palace walls were covered in charcoal dust and the shine that would have graced this city was stripped away with the smog and stifling unbreathable air. Looking up at the sky, missing the vast blueness of the sky from home, I felt dizzy for a moment realizing I was inhaling more of the dirty air than I intended.

I grasped the stone in my hand when I felt it warm up in my palm. A means of communication between me on the surface and Vadim, ten feet below carving the tunnels. Also pin pointing my location to Vadim to he didn't lose me underground.

"What does it look like?" His question filled with remorse.

The multi-faced crystal glowing white, and reverberating with the sound of his whispers, trying not to give me away in case of danger.

I hold the crystal to my lips, whispering back to Vadim through it.

"You don't even want to know. It's heart breaking." I say and there is silence on the other end.

I hurriedly looked for a way around the wall. Remembering the fairy that escaped said she found a cave tunnel around if the outside.

"Is there an entrance I can get through?" I whisper to the stone.

"I found a roughly dug out tunnel, it's narrow but it looks like it leads right to the palace." There's a pause from Vadim. "I'll dig it out more, don't move until I come back."

"Just how badly do you want me to die Vadim?" I whisper into the crystal as I see a heard of wolves passing by my hidden spot just a few yards away. I crouch down into the large bushel of dried out twigs and black soot covered broken branches.

Trying my best to still my heart beat. I whisper to Vadim through the crystal.

"I can't stay here. I need to find a place to lay low until you can come and get me." I whisper as softly as I can but my voice still ringing loud with urgency.

"You'll be captured! Just stay put!" Vadim says voice laced with concerns.

"If I stay put, there bound to find me. There's squads moving out in wolf form. They're not going towards us but-" I say and peak up trying to see the direction of where there going. And for a moment I almost lock eyes with one wolf out of the squad.

I duck down as quickly as I can but it's too late. I whisper into the crystal.

"Vadim, I'm fucked." I say.

"What? What are you talking about? Were you seen?" He asks in a panic.

"Yup." I sigh, resigning myself for the fight bound to happen. "I'll try to handle this but you just focus on getting to MaryAnne."

"Cassie wait!"

"I'll be fine." I sigh and put away the crystal. Grabbing hold of the weapon I had hidden in a holster under my shirt. The scythe was hard to practice with, but it's an unexpected weapon and so far not many know how to defend against it. That's my only saving grace.

I'm a good fighter, but so are they.

I am determined, but so are they.

I am beta of the Haven pack. I am beta. I am the beta of Alpha Isabeau Oakwood. The first alpha separated from the crown.